CYLD negatively regulates cell-cycle progression by inactivating HDAC6 and increasing the levels of acetylated tubulin

CYLD is a tumour-suppressor gene that is mutated in a benign skin tumour syndrome called cylindromatosis. The CYLD gene product is a deubiquitinating enzyme that was shown to regulate cell proliferation, cell survival and inflammatory responses, mainly through inhibiting NF-κB signalling. Here we show that CYLD controls cell growth and division at the G(1)/S-phase as well as cytokinesis by associating with α-tubulin and microtubules through its CAP-Gly domains. Translocation of activated CYLD to the perinuclear region of the cell is achieved by an inhibitory interaction of CYLD with histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC6) leading to an increase in the levels of acetylated α-tubulin around the nucleus. This facilitates the interaction of CYLD with Bcl-3, leading to a significant delay in the G(1)-to-S-phase transition. Finally, CYLD also interacts with HDAC6 in the midbody where it regulates the rate of cytokinesis in a deubiquitinase-independent manner. Altogether these results identify a mechanism by which CYLD regulates cell proliferation at distinct cell-cycle phases.